The Portland daily press., 1887-12-24
SUGAR AND SHEEP.
Inconsistencies Of the Presidents
Tariff Essay.
manchester Mirror and Farmer.1


Manchester Mirror and Farmer.l
No amount of tariff protection or other gov
ernment encouragement would make the
production Of tea and coffee in the United
States equal the demand, for the Creator
has decreed that these articles shall be
grown elsewhere and not here Neither our
soil nor our climate are adapted to them. 1t
is, therefore, rank fony to place aduty upon
them except for revenue only. They are nee
essaries of life and sure to be used in large
quantities, cost what they may. A heavy
tax upon them would, therefore, put money
in the treasury but it would not cause them
to be grown in this country. 1t is much the
same with sugar. We have few acres Of
land in the South on which cane can be pro-
fitably grown, and there are small sections
in which sugar is made from rock naples.
Some experiments have been made Win Sug-
ar beets but they have resulted in a failure,
and the same is true q sorghum. ,Soa % tnae a.
the South and the destruction Of the. maple
forests in the North, the production OF sugar
has been and is steadily decreasing, ana
this too, in spite of a largely increased de-
mand and a very high duty. In 1858 the sug-
ar product of the United States was five
hundred and twenty-five million pounds,
while the average product during the last ten
years has been but two hundred and nlty-one
million pounds, falling off OF more tnan
one half. In ten years the. consumption oI
sugar in this country has risen from 745,250
tons year or 36 pounds per capita to l,5S9-
125 tons or 50 pounds per capita. In otner
words we now consume almost Twice as
much as we did ten years ago ana produce
less than half what we did 80 years ago.
And all this while our sugar growers have
been protected bv duty OF about 0O per cent
That is to say, we buy abroad every year
about hundred million dollars worth OF
sugar and molasses, and on this we pay taA
of fifty millions making the cost to consum-
ers one hundred and fifty millions IN order
that our own producers may sell their crops
for ten millions instead OF seven, ana stll
their business shrinks and shrlnks every
year. A bounty of fifty per cent on an nome
grown sugar would give our planters all tne
advantage they have now and more, ana III
this were paid and imported sugar put upon
the free list, it would leave in the pockets OF
the people fOrty-fve or fifty millions, ana no
body would be any the poorer, and no mdus-
try would suffer.
There is ne natural reason why we should
not raise all the sheep and wool we neeu.
We have millions of acres OF the best graz
ing lands on earth. In the South, the climate
is such, that sheep need no shelter ana no
food except what they get in the pastures,
and in the North and East the, demand ior
lambs and mutton for food should enable
sheep farmers TO compete with tnose VINO are
at much less expense. They tell us that we
must not expect to grow sheep upon the hlgn
priced lands Of the older States, but abroad
the best aud most costly lands are devoted to
this industry and there is no reason why, 70
a large extent, they should not be IN this
country Notwithstanding all our adyant-
ages, we not only go TO other countries LOT ia
go from bad to worse in this respect Under
the war tariff, sheep raising was one OF our
most profitable industries, tioeks steadily IN
creased in numbers and improved in quality,
and although we we were long way from
supplying the home demand as we should
have done, we were fast decreasing our I'M
of wool and w00lens, and reach
a position of independence. Then came the
of duties in 1884, OF from tel 70
thirty per cent and at once the sheep busl-
ness began to decline. Foreign woods and
woolens crowded our markets, the demand
cor could fpno mot make %C growing pay, and sold
their. sheep, and to-Kay we nave IN tne c9un-
years ago, and are sending away our money
for much that prior to that time we made Tor
ourselves. A Boston merchant In discussing
this subject with an Advertiser reporter, FUR
nishes the following facts from the reports
Of the treasury department.:
During the year 1881, 1882 and 1885, under
the old tariff the income to the government
on importations of worsted cloths was S2,-
455, ,54S, while dnring the next three years
under 10 to % cents per pound reduction IN
the tariff the increase was $780,, All, being
an increase of S4, 910,8 1903 over the three pre-
vious years. In knit goods the reduction IN
the tariff was the same, 10 to Y cents per
pound, and during the same three years un-
der the old tariff the duties paid the govern
ment were $1,10l, ,s18, and during the next
three years under the reduction 1t was S2,-
759, 1881, or an increase of 81, ,657 ,563 over the
high tariff. In knit goods under the old rate
of duties, the income for 1881, 1882 and 1883,
was $1,722, ,483 and during the next three
years under 10 and % cents per pound re-
duction the duties were 49, ,617, 1854, or an in
crease Of 81, ,89i ,SS1. In manufactured goods
the increase for the three years on cents per
pound lower duties, was SlS,99l.0l1, or 81
401 $50 during low protection, and $50, ,1O3
under high protection. On wool the tariff re-
iuction in 1884 was 10 to 10 2-3per cent, and
the duties paid during the three years lmme-
1iately preceding was 1l,99O.O05 against
s12, ,s13, ,220 for. the three years following, or
ow protection, while on rags, waste, etc.,
the reduction was cents per pound, and
the increase under the lower tariff $179,234,
or 1921, 1858 for the three years Of high tariff,
and S471, ,091 for the three years after the re-
1uction."
These figures and all others bearing upon
The subject force every man Of sense to the
conclusion that the decline OF sheep growing
Is mainly attributed to the reduction OF the
1uty, an LnaJ tne dDOltlOn " tho uuIg
would be the utter destruction OF the busi-
ness. With these facts established, that no
amount of protection can make US produc-
ers of sugar we use, and that without pro-
lection the wool industry must die, we come
to consideration of the question, how shall
we reduce the national revenues so as to get
rid of the annual surplus? 1t seems TO us
that man need not be statesman, that II
be has simply an ordinary amount OF COM
mon sense, enough to show him that It is bet
ter to find a dollar than to lose one, he will
make but one answer and that IS to repeal
the duty on sugar and leave that upon wool.
But Mr.. Cleveland sees it through the spec
tacles of the New York importers and Lou
siana planters and says give us free. wool,
and continue to tax sugar fifty millions